1904.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 291 



the length of the cephalothorax. Quadrilateral of the posterior eyes 

 wider than long. 



Form. — Cephalothorax highest just behind the third eyes, in front 

 slightly rounded and about one-half its greatest transverse diameter. 

 Sides of head oblique. Chehcera with 3 pairs of teeth, longer than the 

 width of the clypeus, their length 2.5 times the height of the head in 

 front. Sternum longer than broad. Leg IV to cephalothorax, cJ^ 4 : 1, 



9 3.4 : 1; metatarsus IV shorter than patella and tibia combined. 



? palpal claw with 3 teeth. Spinnerets about equal in length. Legs 

 stout with weak scopulae. 



Remarks.— The Texas specimens offer as great variation in size and 

 color as do the northern ones (cf. Montgomery, 1903). Under stones 

 in the bed of Shoal Creek, at Austin, where they are very numerous, 

 two series of individuals may be distinguished : 



(1) Smaller ones of lighter color. Cephalothorax with the light 

 submarginal band as distinct as the median. Abdomen above with a 

 pale brown to orange median band extending the whole length of the 

 dorsum, and enclosing in its anterior half a narrower darker band 

 edged with black; each side of the dorsum is darker with a row of 

 whitish spots that are frequently connected by transverse white lines; 

 venter pale brown, unspotted or with small spots. Sternum and coxae 

 darker brown to reddish-brown. Legs greenish or yellowish with 

 darker annulations. Cephalothoracal length (9) 7.5-8.5 mm. 



(2) Larger ones of darker color. Cephalothorax with the submar- 

 ginal bands frequently interrupted or indistinct. Abdomen very dark 

 above and with the pattern indistinct; venter frequently blackish, 

 with numerous small black spots which are sometimes arranged in 

 longitudinal rows; rarely the entire venter is deep black. Sternum 

 and inferior surface of coxae reddish-brown to deep black. Legs dark 

 brown with more or less distinct darker annulations; leg IV sometimes 

 shows on the inferior surface deep black rings at both ends of the 

 tibia and at the distal end of the tarsus. Cephalothoracal length (?) 

 8.5-11.5 mm. 



The intermediates between these two groups are not very numerous. 

 The most constant color diagnostic is the very narrow light median 

 band of the cephalothorax. 



This species is so variable that without a large series of individuals 

 one might easily conclude that it included two species, namely, a 

 smaller one {nidicola of Emerton) and a larger and darker one, with 

 distinct annulations on the legs (inhonesta of Keyserling, tigrina of 

 McCook). But there are no valid distinctions in the genitalia of the 



